Public · University

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina · Midsize city

64.2%
Admit rate
$20,109
Avg net price
71%
Graduation rate
$54,967
Median earnings

University of North Carolina Wilmington is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Wilmington, North Carolina (midsize city setting), enrolling 14,922 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 14,922 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 64% admitNCAA Division I without footballNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of North Carolina Wilmington's admitted students.

Admit rate
64.2%
SAT (mid 50%)
1230–1340
Avg GPA (est.)
3.63

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of North Carolina Wilmington's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of North Carolina Wilmington's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Wilmington, North Carolina

Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. After going through a series of different names (New Carthage, New London, Newton), its name became Wilmington. The complex has been in continuous operation since it opened in 1858 and houses three performance venues, the Main Stage, the Grand Ballroom, and the Studio Theater. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
3 miles
Nearest airport
4 miles to Wilmington (ILM)

How University of North Carolina Wilmington compares

Selectivity64.2%

More selective than 71% · #17 most selective of 53 in North Carolina

SAT average1287

Higher than 77%

Graduation rate71%

Higher than 79% · #10 of 56 in North Carolina

First-year retention88%

Higher than 83%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$54,967

Higher than 53% · #12 of 57 in North Carolina

Average net price$20,109

Cheaper than 50% · #32 cheapest of 57 in North Carolina

Median debt at graduation$19,500

Lower than 78%

Student–faculty ratio17 : 1

Lower than 23%

Undergraduate enrollment14,922

Larger than 93%

Percentiles compare University of North Carolina Wilmington with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in North Carolina.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

18,516students
  • Undergraduate14,92281%
  • Graduate3,59419%

Undergraduates by gender

14,922undergrads
  • Women9,41463%
  • Men5,50837%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White79%
  • Black4.1%
  • Hispanic9.1%
  • Asian2.0%
  • Other or multiracial6.0%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
14,922
Graduate enrollment
3,594
Student–faculty ratio
17 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
24%
First-generation students
26%
Students over 25
15%
Median family income
$52,650
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$90,666
Endowment
$162,149,363

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 2,701 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From North Carolina77%
  • Other U.S. states23%

Most first-years stay in state — University of North Carolina Wilmington draws overwhelmingly from North Carolina.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
64.2%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1230–1340
SAT average
1287
SAT reading
620–680
SAT math
610–660
ACT composite
24–29
Average GPA (estimated)
3.63

Cost

In-state tuition
$7,277
Out-of-state tuition
$24,152
Room & board
$14,268
Books & supplies
$860
Total cost of attendance
$26,547
Average net price
$20,109

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
71%
Graduated on time (4 years)
56%
First-year retention
88%
Transferred to another college
22%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$46,972
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$54,967
Median debt at graduation
$19,500
Students with federal loans
36%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
58%

About 14% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
56%
Low-income (Pell)
65%
First-generation
63%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
5,173
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
35%
Housing charge (year)
$8,008
Meal plan (year)
$4,597
Application fee
$80
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
412 (175 men · 237 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (10)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)119
Swimming and Diving (combined)60
Soccer57
Baseball43
Basketball32
Softball28
Tennis22
Golf19
Volleyball18
Beach Volleyball14

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
55
Property offenses (2022–2024)
31

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (18,848 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

29reported offenses a year
18 violent a year10 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
14
Burglary
4.7
Motor vehicle theft
4.7
Aggravated assault
2.7
Fondling
1.3
Arson
1.0
Negligent manslaughter
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$10,778
$30–48k
$12,572
$48–75k
$17,378
$75–110k
$24,046
$110k+
$25,573

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$74,752

$17,378/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

50%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,476
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 50% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,476. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 2,358 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$54,967
Typical debt at graduation
$19,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
35%
Out-earn a HS grad
66%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$52,001
Men
$60,210

Men out-earn women by $8,209 (16%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
90°F
Winter low
36°F
Annual rain
60.1″
Annual snow
0.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.04.38.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Wilmington Intl AP, NC US station (3.2 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to University of North Carolina Wilmington

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of North Carolina Wilmington side by side →

Colleges near University of North Carolina Wilmington

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.